Down With the Sickness
by FlamingDranzer
Summary: PostKH2. Humankind has gone completely and utterly corrupt. Cloud realizes this but is reluctant to act. Put in the form of a wolf, he realizes that his dream is more than a simple wish it's his destiny. But he's in denial. Inspired by Okami for the PS2
1. Chapter 1

"Down With the Sickness"

Yet another story from me. I've been playing with different scenarios regarding what happens to Cloud after KH2, and this is one of my favorites. This story was inspired by Okami for the PS2 and the anime Wolf's Rain. Likewise, I borrowed a few elements from each. If you have played Okami or watched Wolf's Rain, you should be able to pick up on them. The title of the story was inspired by the song "Down with the Sickness" by Disturbed.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the plot.

Warnings for the _entire story_: Violence, language, blood, possible disturbing images

Chapter 1: Pride of a Wolf

Our swords clashed in mid-air, repeating the same moves that we have used over and over again, without end. He would ready his sword to pierce my chest, I would use my sword's width to block. It was almost habit now. It's sad. It's pathetic, how I can read his moves as he can read mine, as if we can read each other as if we were open books written in a large size font. All we have to do is wait for one of us to make a mistake. And hopefully, he would be the maker of that mistake.

Sephiroth always did make the mistake. How I knew that I did not know. He raised his sword just high enough to give me an opening. He did that every single time, but I don't know how I knew that. But I knew that every time, I would use that second to pierce through his chest, to burst his heart with the tip of my sword. And every time, I knew, he would fall to the ground, gasping for breath, wing wrapping around him in a desperate attempt to save its owner. It was no different now.

But he glowed as black as night as the darkness wrapped around his body. I widened my eyes in shock and dropped my sword as I saw the darkness wrapping itself around my body as well. He looked at me, a hollow look in his eyes. I shivered under that look, quickly finding the ground a much interesting place to look at. I know that I shouldn't be looking at the ground at a time like this, but I can't help but do it. I can't tear my eyes away from the healthy grass on the forest floor on which I fought with Sephiroth.

I collapse to the ground, much like he did. And it all feels so strangely familiar. I groan in pain as I feel my body changing into something not human. My bones crunch and snap, my face lengthens and my teeth grow sharp. I feel something growing from my tail bone.

"You will never find a cure as long as I am dead," he told me, smirking at me with the smirk that could literally kill a thousand men. I try to shout at him, but all that comes out of me is a pitiful bark. As I watch him fade away, I realize that something is very much wrong with my body.

I found myself on floors on the ground. I had no hands or fingers, in their place were paws. A tail swished excitedly behind me. My teeth felt much sharper, I learned as I bit my tongue in the heat of the moment. I had grown fur, fur as white and brilliant as freshly fallen snow. In the pool of blood beneath my body, I saw that my eyes had become golden and furious-looking. I had changed into something not human. I looked just as a wolf would. I had become...a wolf? I want to shout his name, to unleash my anger. All that comes out is a pitiful howl.

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I had been navigating this odd world for some period of time. It could be days, weeks, or months. I had lost track of the time a long, long time ago. I had set out to find a cure for the sickness that had overtaken my body. I had set out to become human again, so I could return to Aerith and the rest of my pack. Leon, Yuffie, Cid and Tifa...I missed them all. They were my packmates. I remember the long nights we spent under the moon together - or was it the sun? I don't remember now. My memory is all screwed up now, becoming jumbled as I try to sort through it. It's almost as if I'm sorting through my heart again to find what I really want. I wanted to raise a family with Aerith, but I can't do that if I'm not human. As I am right now, I can't even communicate with her properly. I feel my fur on my back bristle as I think about the position that I'm in. I don't like it one bit - it makes me feel threatened.

I hadn't eaten very much lately. I would like to eat human food, but there is none of that at here. The forest had ended hundreds of miles ago and had given way to a barren, snow covered wasteland. I blended in well, except for the blood that stained my coat from the last kill I had - blood from a small rabbit I had caught in the forest a few days ago. I had no reason to stay in one place. It was unlikely that anyone would find me there. I had to search for humans. Maybe, just maybe, there was someone out there that would understand my wolf language. Maybe there was someone out there that could give me a clue as to help me free myself from this body of a wolf.

My nostrils twitched as they read a new scent. It is that of a rabbit, I remember from the forest. They were easy to track but hard to catch. They require much energy to keep up with, especially in a form you're not used to. My instincts took over as I began to read where the rabbit was and where the rabbit is. It is not very far from me, the scent tells me. I have to sprint across the snow; if I don't, the rabbit will hear me and my efforts to kill it will be in vain. If I don't kill it, I'll probably die if more food doesn't come along.

I broke into a mad dash, careful about not using all of my energy in my reserves. I felt the snow under my paws; I felt the wind try to hold me back. There it is - the rabbit. I chased the rabbit across the snowy tundra when suddenly I became aware that my energy was falling, and falling fast. I tripped over my paws and watched in shock as the rabbit hopped away from me and into a little tunnel.

I don't know how long I laid there in the snow. It began to make its way into my fur, causing me to shiver slightly. I exhaled sharply, the human equiviliant of a sigh. I forced my legs to lift my weight again. They shook under me as if they were made of the weakest of materials. The muscles were simply too exhausted, too weak, to do anything except carry me for a few more days...

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I was exhausted. I had no more luck on finding prey to replenish my energy. The rabbit seemed to be the only one out here other than me. Were the others looking for me as relentlessly as I searched for a path to survival? Was Aerith crying because I hadn't returned yet? Did she still put a plate for me at the table in case I returned? Or did my pack forget about me? Did they forget about Cloud Strife?

Radiant Garden would be a paradise compared to this lonely, harsh tundra. There is no one out here, the conditions are harsh, and there is little to no food. There's no fire, no trees. It's almost as if the world was destroyed and nothing remained. If I didn't return to Radiant Garden and take my place in the restoration committee, would the world turn out like this if they were attacked by the Heartless?

They're unforgiving creatures. I haven't seen any here. Are the conditions too harsh for them, as they are for everything else other than a few stray, dying animals? I haven't seen any Nobodies; have they been reunited with their Heartless? Have the Heartless disappeared and everyone and everything returned to normal, except for me? I'm stuck as a wolf. It has its perks, but I want to be a human again.

I'm not human anymore. I can't talk to Aerith as a human. I can't write, eat, cook like a human. I can't have the pleasures of reading books or writing in my journals, or doing maintence on Fenrir. I can't even help Cid work on his Gummi Ships. I never liked helping Cid until now. Only when you lose something do you learn its value. I took everyone on Radiant Garden for granted. I recognize that now. They have much more value to me than anything I've ever known.

Aerith has the most value to me. Not only is she sweet and caring, but she tried to warm my heart when I was scared and depressed. She was always by my side no matter how many times I rejected her. She always supported me. When it comes to criminals, she condemns the offense, not the offender. She's always there, planting flowers in her church, being a peaceful and pleasant person. I can't help it that I love her. I'll do anything to get back to her. I want to get back to her no matter what the cost. I'd take my own life for her.

I collapsed again. My legs don't even move now. I laid on my side, the snow collecting on my fur coat. I could do nothing but close my eyes. I was going to die.

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I felt something warm surround my body. Am I in heaven? I tried to move my fingers, only to find out that I still had none. I was still alive, but barely kicking. My eyes were closed, but I didn't want to open them to begin with. I seemed to have control of my limbs again, I discovered, when I twitched my legs and feet experimentally. My curiousity was beginning to drive me insane. As curious as a little child would be, I opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was a fire.

Beyond the fire sat a young teenager. He had spiky brown hair, almost like he stole my human hair and dyed it brown. His blue eyes were watching me intently, almost as curious about me as I was about him. His form was small and almost fragile looking, but there were some muscles on his frame. His shorts were baggy; his shoes were large. His short fit him more normally, but was still slightly baggy on his frame. His gloves refused to cover his fingers, instead choosing to go up his wrist. He smelled like the ocean breeze, but also had the scents of my friends on him. Suddenly, I recognized him. He was Sora.

Tiredly, I sat up. I cocked my head to left side, showing him that I was curious about him and why I was here. He seemed to take my hint quite well, as he began to speak. "A king told me that I was supposed to be looking for a white wolf."  
(King Mickey, I thought.)  
"My friends were kidnapped. I don't know where they are, or what happened to them -"

He cut himself off suddenly. I felt his aura change. It made me sad as well. I walked over to him and laid by him. He petted me gently, as if I was a dog. At the moment, I couldn't care less.  
"The king said that if I found a white wolf, the wolf would be able to take me to my friends. It seems kind of odd, though. A white wolf, of all things? Wolves can't even talk, last time I checked. Even though that was a long time ago."

"We need a name for you. You're a guy, so Snowy would sound kind of queer. How about we call you Kisei? I think it has a nice ring to it, doesn't it Kisei?"

Kisei? He named me? I'm not a pet, but adopting the name wouldn't be a bad idea. I don't know if I'll meet others like me, but if I do, it'd be nice to use a different name. I don't want them questioning why my name is Cloud Strife, like that human that disappeared. And besides, I'm not human anymore. I'm Kisei.

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For some odd reason, I found this as fun to write. Maybe it's because the storyline I have written for this is almost as long as the first chapter itself. And the first chapter itself was only a paragraph of the storyline.

See that button down there that says "Review"? If you click it, something cool will happen.


	2. Chapter 2

"Down With the Sickness"

I'm amazed that this chapter was written so fast. Almost 13 kb in 30 minutes. I was hoping it would be longer, but I just hate those longer chapters that in which, you have to take a break from it, you loose your place and end up reading the whole thing over again. One of my biggest pet peeves.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the plot.

Warnings for the _entire story_: Violence, language, blood, possible disturbing images

Chapter 2: Human Corruption

I followed Sora's feet like a small, helpless puppy. In reality, I was no stronger than a wolf pup. I was recovering from my dance with death, but I grew stronger with step I took. I followed Sora blindly. He is the pack leader, he can tell me where to go or what to do and I won't hesitate. It is my duty as a member of the pack to obey the leader. As I was not the leader, I carried myself in a semi-submissive pose. My tail hung lower than normal, and my ears flattened against my head slightly. My eyes stared on at the path ahead with curiousity as something new came into my vision.

It was a large town, by the looks of it. Many small houses and apartment buildings were there, but I saw a coal-burning power plant spitting out tons of toxic gas into the atmosphere from which living things breathe. Humans should be able to find some sort of more efficient way to protect our environment while giving themselves the electricity needed to do their daily tasks, am I not right? Apparently, humans weren't caring about the damage they were causing to the environment. Maybe this was why there was a lack of life at that place where I attempted to catch the rabbit. Humans had simply polluted the area so much that nothing grew. If nothing grew, nothing could feed. If nothing could feed, everyone would die. I believe the humans did this.

"You know," Sora says, looking at me smiling, "It's hard to believe that there's other places in the world other than this one. I used to call it Radiant Garden, this town, but now I call it Agata. It's the largest city in the world. There's another town far up north, but it's small and has no technology that this place has. I wonder if they have some sort of communication barrier? Like different languages or something?"

He brought up an excellent point. I wanted to talk to him badly, I wanted to express myself, but I couldn't find the words...literally. He continued, focusing his eyes on the path ahead. "I heard that an island down south has some exiles on it. I think it's called Oyashima. They exiled people there because the journey to that island is dangerous, so dangerous that hardly anyone could make it. Maybe the village up north is the same way. There's that huge forest, Kojiki Forest, that surrounds that white mountain that lies in the middle of the world. It's almost as if the forest is protecting something."

I heard him mumble under his breath, "Maybe my friends are there."

I moved closer to him, and he looked at me smiling. "Thanks, Kisei."

I am a follower. It was my job in the pack to reassure the leader of his abilities and save him from as much emotional turmoil as possible, though I know there's some that I could never protect him from. I glance again at the city-town ahead of us. I suddenly spot a huge castle there, but I don't know how it slipped my vision before. It's...the Hollow Bastion castle? I could tell by the Heartless Emblem that still hung up front. Unknowingly, a feral growl slipped from my throat.  
"Kisei? Why are you looking at...let's go, Kisei."

It's nice to know that some people can understand me.

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It was hell, almost literally, getting into the city. The security guards were wary about a wolf entering the city, but Sora managed to win them over with his famous pout of doom. The guards felt so much pity for his fake story about how he had no relatives and only had me left as his only companion. I didn't think it was much of a good story, but it doesn't matter anyway. We got in. Sora proved his leadership skills. That's all that matters. He would be a good leader of the humans. He has all of the traits of an alpha male, but I wonder if someone were to challenge his position, would he be able to defend it easily? I'm sure he would be. I can tell that he has some unheard of strength deep within that fragile body of his. Everyone does, but some people forget that they do. I hope Sora never forgets. It could save his life.

People stared at me in awe as I walked beside Sora. They haven't seen a wolf like me, I guess. Or maybe they thought that I was just a big dog. I'm almost insulted as they point at me and whisper strange remarks to each other, mostly because the remarks are directed more at Sora for not having me on a leash. I have some limits to my submissiveness, and should I be put on a leash, I shall rebel because I'm not a pet. Sora looked nervous at all of the stares coming his way. I could feel the nervousness surrounding him, and I wanted to get rid of it. But it's something that he has to overcome himself. I can't say any reassuring words, but I can reassure him with my actions. I walk with my tail almost between my legs, my ears completely flat, my head close to the ground as if I'm almost ashamed of being in the presense of these humans. 

The whispers stop of a sudden, according to my ears. I'm nervous now. The silence of the crowd is frightening. It wasn't long before I understood why the crowd went silent. Suddenly, I felt claustrophobic as the crowd filtered from the middle of the street where we were, to the sides of the street next to the buildings. My back fur bristled upwards, my pearly teeth bared as I whirled around. I was greeted with a bullet to the shoulder.

Time froze for a second as I saw the man. His crimson eyes were violent and full of anger, narrowed at my presense. His metal claw, gold as the metal, glinted in the sunlight. His red cloak seemed to shield his upper body, his lower body being protected by black pants that looked like as if they were made out of leather. His bangs were combed over and fell over one of his eyes; his hair was jagged with several split ends. It also appeared to be as unwashed and knotted as a rat's nest. He looked feral like a beast, but also had that sophistication that only a human would be able to carry.

I saw the man aim his gun at me again as I snarled fiercely at him. I was shocked as Sora threw himself in front of me as the man pulled the trigger. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. I saw the bullet spin in midair as it made its way to Sora's chest. It would be a fatal or near fatal shot, that was certain. As the bullet connected with his skin, Sora fell back. He looked up at me, eyes full of worry and regret.

"Run, Kisei...don't let him...get you..."

That's all I needed. I needed to be known that I was dismissed from the pack before I could run. And run I did. I whirled around and sprinted as fast as my legs could carry me to a location unknown to anyone but them. The people stared at me, shocked that such an event was unfolding right before their very eyes. Children cowered at the sight of me, hiding behind their mother's legs. Even smaller children were swooped up by their parent's loving arms as the children began to cry. The men glared at me; the women hid behind their spouses. It was pure chaos, and it hurt because I knew that I was the one that caused it. I don't want to cause any more chaos, for any reason whatsoever. I'm leaving this city and going to the far north, to the village that Sora told me about.

Unfortunately, I found myself backed into a corner. My legs had failed me, even though this was the city I've grown up in and the city that I should know like the back of my paw. There was nothing I could do now but listen to my instincts. It was coming down to be an event between two feral and wild beasts. It was a battle of instincts; the stronger your instincts, the better chance you have of surviving. Luckily for me, human instincts have been withering since they had became careless thousands of years ago. I learned this when I became a wolf, and had these strange urges to do things that I never would've even thought of doing before.

"Wolf...you vile creature...you're sent from Hell itself," the man said, backing me into the corner even farther. I felt threatened even more. My lips revealed even more of my teeth; my fur bristled skywards as much as it could. "Before I kill you, I would like you to know my name. I am Vincent Valentine, wolf exterminator."

He aimed his gun at me again. I was a lone wolf. There was no one that would come for me now. There was two things I could do - stand here and die shamefully, or fight as the feral beast I am and have a chance of surviving. I choose the latter. I made a mad dash towards him using the strength that I almost forgot that I had. I remember the look of shock on his face. But it has no effect on me. I have no mercy for him. I jump up and lunge for his throat. I pin him to the ground, biting wildly towards the only connection between his head and his shoulders.

I realize that he is shocked. If he recovers from it soon, I'll be dead. I follow my instincts. I run and live to fight another day.

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I ran towards the edge of the city. If there's one thing I want to do, I want to see Aerith one last time. I saw the old church out of the corner of my eye, and changed my path so that I headed towards it. The path towards the church seemed to be highlighted to me in flowers, healthy flowers. I haven't seen such lively flowers in such a polluted place in a long, long time. They seem to almost come to life, as if they were happy and alive just like wolves and humans. They are one with the planet as animals are. But why can't humans be the same?

As I came to the church's entrance, I slowed down to a walk. The door was left slightly open, so using my body weight, I opened it just enough so I could get inside. The door's squeaking seemed to echo in my ears and down the hallways. At the end, I saw that a large section of the back of the church had been destroyed, and the earth now lay exposed to the open sun like it used to years and years and years ago. The earth was covered in flowers, Aerith's flowers, causing it to nearly explode towards me in a weird sensation of color. And there she was, a pink flower amongst the rest. Aerith.

I whined softly, and she turned towards me, almost cautiously. She walked towards me without any hint of caution, however. She stopped suddenly as I laid down on the dirty wooden floor. In that moment, we store into each other's eyes, reading each other. I knew that she was Aerith, but did she know that I was Cloud? Her eyes turned peaceful for a second before turning back to blatantly showing worry.

"You poor thing..." she told me. "You need to get out of here. Vincent's hunting you down, and I don't want to see another wolf like you hurt. There were three wolves here the other day that got injured from Vincent. There's an island, Oyashima, that lies to the far south of here, past a deserted plain that we used to transport exiles to Oyashima. Head to the island. There's something that will help you there."

"Aerith!" That was Yuffie's voice. It was followed soon after by Tifa's.  
"Don't move, Aerith!" Yuffie shouted as she threw several shuriken at me. Her aim greatly improved, I noticed with much alarm. If she improved this much within a short period of time, there's no doubt that Tifa would be able to kill me with a single blow. With alarm running through my veins, I stood there dumbfounded. I heard Aerith shout something, and the movements of Tifa and Yuffie suddenly stopped. I took the hint, and I ran.

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I had to loop around the city, running past the guards carefully, unless I wanted to draw Vincent's attention to me. I stopped a good few miles away from the city. I turned back and looked at it, taking it in for one last time. It was my human home, and somewhere over the horizon lied a new home.

With these thoughts fueling my mind and body, I ran into the sunset, with hopes that a way to become human would become apparent to me.

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Not going to ask for a set amount of reviews this time either. I just want you to click the review button again. I heard if you clicked it, something cool will appear on the screen. And remember, reviews make Cloud happy.


	3. Chapter 3

"Down With the Sickness"

There are probably a few of you wondering if Sora died. Nope, Sora's alive but he has no role in the story from here on out. Leon actually found Sora and Aerith's taking care of him. One last note, when the wolves are talking with each other, it will look like 'put the words here' rather than "put the words here". See the difference?

Once you get done reading, be sure to click the little purple button at the left hand corner of your screen. Maybe it does something cool.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the plot.

Warnings for the _entire story_: Violence, language, blood, possible disturbing images

Chapter 3: The Human Tribe of Redemption

I don't remember how long I have been running. It's hard to continue on. My brain is telling my body to turn back, to see Aerith and the others again, despite the danger present. My instincts say that isn't worth the risk, and that Vincent's still there, waiting to kill me. My muscles don't know which side to take, so they keep on pushing through the wasteland. It's driving me insane, this land. It's barren. It's polluted. The humans destroyed it. The land can't recover anymore. No plants can grow. No animal can live here. There's no water, no rain. There's no clouds in the sky, just the sun beating down upon my body, trying to cause it to overheat. I can't die here. I need to become human again to help them - Aerith and the others. I need to show them how much they're damaging the planet.

When I stop running after I don't know how long, I turn around and look at the distance I covered. I can't even see the town of Agata, where every human on the planet probably lived. I doubt there's a village up north. I don't know the geography of the world very well, but I do know that the rest of the planet is uninhabitable, like this little piece of land. How anyone, anything, could live here is well beyond my comprehension.

I almost feel claustrophobic here. Even though there's nothing around for miles and miles and miles, it seems almost as if the emptiness is trying to close in on me and drive me insane. I'm beginning to think that it's working. It's insane, how so much space can close in on you and make you feel like an insect. Except the emptiness has no such thing as mercy. But then again, neither do humans. Emptiness...humans...they're so alike that it's not funny. They both destroy and confuse the mind. I want to see this emptiness become a forest or a grassland, however. I don't like the feel of sand beneath my paws. It's gritty and gets stuck between the pads, causing them to itch persistantly. It clings to my coat and around my eyes when the wind blows, causing my body to absorb more heat and my vision to blur slightly. I can't get the sand out of my eyes due to lack of fingers, so I have to push on.

I must be going insane. Why else would I hear the pounding of horse's hooves on the dry sand? I hear shouting; it sounds like men's voices. The noises seem to be coming closer and closer to me. I want to move, but I can't. I just stare ahead of me, at the sources of the noise. The horses are a deep chocolate brown or black in color; the men are tanned from being exposed to the sun. I smell dog's scents on them. Are they exiles, or are they thieves? Are they trying to capture me to sell me to the black market, which I heard is famous for selling all sorts of exotic animals? Regardless of these thoughts, my legs are tired, refusing to run.

"A white one?" I heard a man's voice ask. I looked at them curiously. They seemed to be just as curious about me as I about them. I hardly noticed them come up to me.  
"There's been an abundance of wolves lately," another man said. I crouched towards the ground, as if the submissive posture would prevent them from killing me.

"Yes, there have been. But it's a good sign from Mother Earth," an elderly man said, smiling gently at me. "Let's take this one home and let him see the others. Come here, Kisei."

How did he know my name? Regardless, my instincts told me to follow him.

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He and the pack of humans had led me to another larger pack of humans. There were women and children running around. The women stopped their chores when they saw me, and gasped and covered their mouths with tanned, thin hands. Some children cowered behind their mothers, but most stood and stared at me with awe in their little eyes. The genetics seemed rather limited; nearly everyone had black hair and brown eyes with tan skin. Their clothes were made by hand just for this kind of weather. Sandals were worn by nearly everyone, save the children. They ran barefoot in the sand, developing tough skin on their foot from the little pebbles and stones. Sandals weren't very good for sprinting, after all. If I ever become human again, I'll be going barefoot for quite a while. Shoes seem more like a nuisance now.

I walked with the human pack leader, the elder. I held myself in a submissive pose as I walked. My tail was low and my ears were flattened towards my head. I didn't know what was going on, but I need to be ready just in case something occurs that isn't favorable for my survival. I was feeling dizzy by the sheer amount of humans. I didn't think that there were humans outside Agata. I was still curious about the origins of these humans though. Maybe that's why I kept following the elderly man, despite his slow walking gait. Eventually, I was led to three dogs. The elder left me here with them. My instincts told me to investigate the dogs, which I did carefully.

The first wolf was sitting on the ground. He was licking his paw, probably cleaning it, until he saw me. His eyes narrowed at me as he observed my body language and appearance. His fur was dark gray, almost silver, in color. His underbelly was a odd combination of white mixed with the dark gray, causing it to appear silver. The tips of his ears seemed to be painted ebony. His scent was faintly like Sora's - a sea breeze, as if the wolf lived on a beach for his whole life.

The second wolf was much smaller than the first. She was laying down with her head on her paws. Her fur didn't hide the sand well, as the fur was a mix between red and brown. Neither color proved to be predominant - it was almost an even balance. She had an even fur color the entire way around her body. Her tail was wagging happily as she saw me. Like the first wolf, she smelled like an ocean. She looked almost happy to see someone new. I hope she's not in heat.

The third wolf was larger than both the second and first wolves. His body was mostly made up of muscle, but it looked like he lacked brains. I saw his black lips bare his pearly white teeth as he looked at me. He was standing up and seemed to be glaring at me with hatred and anger. If he were human, I'd say that he was mentally unstable. His fur was golden as the sun itself, but lightened up near his belly. There was a slash that came between his two eyes and over the bridge of his nose. It was opposite of what Leon's had been. He smelled as if he lived in a city before coming here, but he didn't smell like Agata. It was a much cleaner smell.

'What are you doing here?' the third wolf growled, the fur on his back bristling.

'I don't know,' I answered dumbly. But I don't even know where I am, other than it's a wasteland.

'We don't want outsiders in our pack,' the wolf said, taking a step towards me.

'Seifer, stop it!' the red-brown wolf shouted, stepping between him and I. 'I'm sorry that Seifer's like this -'

'Don't apologize, Kairi,' the first wolf said, looking annoyed at Seifer's actions. 'My name's Riku.'

I looked at the group. Kairi, Riku and Seifer. The names sounded familiar, as if we had run across the world together before. Seifer's fur began to lie down again and his lips covered his teeth. Defeated, he sat down on the ground. He refused to look me in the eye. Riku, satisifed, laid down where he sat. He hadn't moved during the ordeal, but I could tell he was ready in case Seifer went berzerk. Kairi walked up to me and we touched noses. She sniffed around my nose, as if she was figuring out where I had been before. 'So...' she started, done sniffing my face, 'What's your name? You came from that city with all the people.'

'My name -'

'Just hurry up and say it,' Seifer taunted, causing Riku to growl at him.

'- is Kisei.'

Kairi's tail started wagging happily again. 'That's such a cute name!'

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The hours passed as the full moon rose into the sky.

'I love the full moon...' Kairi said, causing me and everyone else to stare at the large object in the sky. 'It's really pretty when you're on a beach...do you remember what it's like, Riku?'

'Yeah...' he said thoughtfully. 'We used to sit together with Sora -'

'You know Sora?' Seifer and I exclaimed at the same time. Seifer said it with a shocked tone while mine was emotionless.

'Yeah, we do,' Riku answered. 'We used to live together on the Destiny Islands.'

'There was a freak hurricane,' Kairi said. 'No one could've predicted it. Everyone was caught off-guard. I woke up here, with these people. And so did Riku.'

'You sound like you know Sora,' Riku said, directing the statement at Seifer. 'How?'

'He came waltzing in one day,' was the simple reply. There was silence for a few minutes until Seifer spoke again. 'Then when he left, weird things started happening. Fuu, Rai and I were attacked in an alley. Fuu and Rai escaped, but I don't know how I got here. I just kind of woke up here.'

'What about you?' Kairi asked, still staring at the moon.

'I fought a battle with my darkness,' I said. Riku seemed to understand while Kairi and Seifer were confused. 'He used an evil curse to turn me into a wolf. I'm looking for a cure. But I can't find one.'

'You'll find one,' Kairi said comfortingly. 'We all will.'

----------

I remained with the pack of humans and wolves for a few days. For some reason, the full moon still arose in the sky every night. There should be a cycle, and the moon should be on a different stage, but it's not. I followed the elder closely, observing him. There was something about him that bugged me, but I didn't know what. It wasn't the elderly smell. It wasn't the fact that he had wolves living with him as if they were both equals. I couldn't put my paw on it. He was disturbing, but I didn't know how. Until he confronted me one night.

"You look troubled," he told me, sitting down with me at the edge of all the commotion, or the tribe of humans, whatever you want to call it. "I can read it in your eyes...you're not supposed to be a wolf."

I looked at him curiously, like a little puppy observes small insects.  
"Neither are they. The form doesn't fit them very well. But it was all predestined to happen."  
He trailed off. I nudged him with my paw in an effort to make him continue.

"Ah, yes. There is an old legend at the center of human culture on this world. There's two different cultures. Us and them. We are peace-loving and environment-respecting. We do not care about using technology, as it's polluting our planet. They...they are destroying the planet. They keep on striving to invent more things without making the things they have efficient. This land on which we sit now was once a large forest, part of Kojiki Forest to the north. They came here, cutting down the trees and trying to find oil in the land. The land was being poisoned until it could sustain no more life."

"So everyone moved up north to the area that is today called Agata. The area was rich in nutrients for farming and had many clean rivers. When people began farming, the rivers became polluted. They didn't replace the nutrients in the soil, so crops were less bountiful and more-often-than-not worse tasting. Unsatisfied, they began looking for a way to invent more things so the crop issue would be solved."

"And this is where the split occured. Agata was ruled by a terrible king who resided in the castle with the black emblem. The king was solely interested in inventing new things without making the other things efficient. He killed any of those who disagreed with his opinions. The people that disagreed with him are our tribes ancestors. Many of our ancestors were forced to fled the city when the king sent out soldiers to track them down. In short, they were exiled by unofficial means."

"Our ancestors watched as Agata fell into flames. The king was killed, but the passion for inventing had become ingrained within the Agata psyche. Instead of helping the planet, they invented many more things. Things that we, here in the wastelands, would never be able to dream of. Our ancestors passed down their beliefs to us through the generations. We believe what they believe and are ready to fight for them. Where was I? Oh, yes, the legend. I'm afraid I've gotten sidetracked."

"Long ago, wolves reigned over the land. Alongside of wolves were the humans. The humans respected the wolves, and wished to live as they did. There were a group of humans that wanted to rebel against the wolves. And so, a great battle took place between the wolves and the humans. After the battle, the few wolves remaining stook alongside the human race. Some wolves could even go between wolf and human forms. The rebelling humans made it the top priority to kill the wolves. The remaining wolves ran towards the southern islands, driven away by the humans. Anyone that wanted to live like a wolf was killed in the cruelest way possible. And so, the humans began to have a need for inventing new things.

"Eventually, the humans began to turn corrupt with power. Kings became dictators. The dictators trained massive amounts of people to invent things that would be able to kill anyone who opposed them. Eventually, the dictators were overthrown, but the new kings had the urge to invent. And invent they did. The planet began to die, and the wolves could tell. There were four wolves that would be able to save the world, but they came from different worlds with different points of view. Eventually, the wolves fought their way past the discrimination and hatred with the help of peace-loving humans. The wolves traveled to Lover's Peak, the mountain in the center of our world. All wolves died on the way except for one. The wolf was as white and brilliant as the snow itself, and his name was Kisei. There was no white wolves recorded before him. He was one of a kind and seemed to be the savior of the world.

"At the top of the mountain lay in wait a cruel human. The human despised Kisei for what Kisei and the other wolves had been doing. The human only wanted to push further into technology and forget the past. But with any more technology created would come a price. The world would slowly begin to die.

"Kisei and the human fought on top of the mountain. Blood coated the snow in the crater at the very tip of the mountain. When all seemed lost, a guiding light was sent from the heavens. A wall of white began to move across the world. After the light faded, there was nothing left but the snow falling from the heavens.

"Wolves were once again created alongside the humans. And so, the legend repeats endlessly."

There was a long, uncomfortable silence. The elderly man spoke again. "You should head down south to the island of Oyashima. Take the other wolves with you. You might be able to find a cure. And doubtless, those humans of the other group have already seen you. Wolves are not liked much these days. Take the others with you and run before another exterminator appears."

----------

The next day was when I took the other wolves to where the old man and I were sitting the other night. I told them that we had to leave for an island called Oyashima that was deep in the south. As we were debating the topic, the humans appeared to us again.  
"We came to see you off," a woman said to me, smiling. My tail started wagging in response.

'We're not far from the shore,' said Riku. 'It's within a day's walk.'

We all headed down to the shore as one huge group. The sun was setting again, causing the sunset to be one of the best that I've ever seen before. The shades of color were brilliant next to the waves lapping at the shore. I was interrupted from my thoughts when the elderly man talked to me again.

"Oyashima lies across this narrow bridge of land," he said, pointing at something narrow.

That was all we needed. I looked at everyone in my wolf pack. They seemed to be staring at me with a sort of admiration in their eyes. I understood the signal - I was pack leader now. It was my job to lead them, and their job to follow. I won't fail, because if I do, I'll never see Aerith again. I'll never be human again. I've come so far that I'm not going to give up again.

We, the group of four wolves, sprinted to the narrow strip of land connecting Oyashima with the mainland. As we went on, grass began to grow beneath our paws...

-------------------------------------


	4. Chapter 4

"Down With the Sickness"

Quick note, there might be a little bit of disturbing content at the end of the chapter. But nothing terribly over-descriptive and gross.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the plot.

Warnings for the _entire story_: Violence, language, blood, possible disturbing images

Chapter 4: To Be a Wolf

It's amazing that a world can be the polar opposite of itself. While the mainland was dying, Oyashima was thriving quite well. I didn't expect Oyashima to be thriving as much as it is. It seems as if it's untouched by humans. Do the humans harbor fear of anything outside their town? Do they have a fear of exploring new territory?

Oyashima was the home to a great forest. It was lush and healthful, unlike the wasteland south of Agata. It looked untouched, like it was the virgin place of the world. If it is such a virgin place, then why was I sent here? It's the wilderness that resides here. It would be a great place to hide a secret. I wonder if the humans will one day destroy this place as well?

Kairi was talking to Riku behind me. We trotted through the forest using an old worn out path. Leaves from the previous autumn covered the forest floor. Occasionally a fallen tree proved to be an obstacle. There were numerous small ponds and rivers in the island. When running here, I saw a large mountain of some sort. Could it be a volcano?

I stopped suddenly, causing Seifer, whose place was right behind me, to run into me. Kairi and Riku ran into Seifer, causing all of us to crash to the ground.

'Why'd you stop, Kiki?' Kairi asked me, using a nickname that I hated. Kiki was a girl's name, in my opinion.

'Quiet.'

They remained quiet for a few minutes. Their ears picked up on what mine had picked up only moments before I stopped. The branches and twigs on the forest floor were rustling. By the sounds of it, it was a big animal. There were more than one, I could tell, as the noise became louder. Instincts told me to howl. And so I did. I got a howl in response.

The noise makers appeared on the path in front of us. There were wolves...and humans? Something wasn't right with the humans if they could live here without destroying the area. A human, presumably the alpha male of the pack, walked towards me. "Hark! State your names!"

The human was young and had the fighting spirit within him. He was noble in nature, and talked with an accent that I never heard before. His hair was a fierce golden, much like his eyes. His hair fell to his ears limply, but it seemed to be full of life at the same time. His attire was modern, like that in Agata, but seemed to be more handmade, like the attire of the other tribe was. I was confused. Was there some sort of cross breeding between the people of Agata and the exiles?

'I'm Kisei,' I told him, not believing he'd hear me.

"Ah. What about those who follow your path?"

'I'm Kairi, and this is Seifer,' Kairi said, motioning to Seifer.  
'Riku,' said Riku, observing the human.

'What about you?' I asked him. 'What is your name?'

He seemed to beam with pride. "Pardon my rudeness for not telling you earlier. I am Seki, the ruler of this wolf pack. We reside on this queer island of Oyashima."  
Seifer seemed to chuckle.

"Is something the matter, golden wolf?"

Though we told him our names, he refused to call Seifer by his. Perhaps it's because Seifer never introduced himself, but rather had someone do it for him.

'Nothing, just like how you describe things here.' Seifer said in a cocky tone. Seki's wild eyes narrowed at Seifer.  
"Watch it, golden wolf. You may find yourself unwelcome here very soon. We do not take kindly to impolite strangers."

'Whatever,' Seifer replied, sitting on the ground and yawning.

Seki made us come with him to his residence with the other members of his pack. There were 40 or more members at least.

'It must be difficult managing this many wolves,' I remarked, looking at Seki curiously. Perhaps he could teach me to be a better leader.

"You're giving me well too much credit, Kisei. I let the wolves make their own decisions. It's uncommon for all of us to be together in one spot of Oyashima at once."

'Then why are you all together?' Kairi asked, deciding to walk by my right side, almost as if she was afraid something would happen to her should she get too close to Seki.

"It's nearly time for a celebration of sorts. Every so often we all gather here to hike up to the top of the distant mountain. It's how we pay our respects to the gods."

He saw our blank stares. "You see, young wolves, we recieved the power to go between wolf and human form a long, long time ago, when the world was created. We are supposed to serve as the human's guardians. But alas, we can't cross the bridge to the mainland. When we try, a young man in black uses a gun to kill us as we run across the bridge. It's surprising that you were able to come here without him killing you. Tell me, how many members of your pack were there before you came here?"  
'Just four. No one died. I didn't even smell gun powder,' Riku replied, looking at Seki expectantly. Seki didn't respond.

Seki turned into a wolf. His fur was golden with a hint of brown in it. As he climbed a small hill, he looked like the very image of regalness. The wolves chattered among themselves, not noticing their leader climbing the hill. As Seki howled, the wolves stopped chattering and bickering amongst themselves and howled in response. I heard Kairi, Riku and Seifer howl behind me, and so I followed their lead.

'Listen, everyone! Tomorrow we climb the mountain that lies in our humble little island of Oyashima! We have four guests with us tonight. Be kind to all but the golden one, as he is quite a rude fellow.'

Seifer snorted, stomping his paw on the ground. 'Fuck him.'

'When the moon sets is when our journey will begin! Please prepare yourselves for the journey ahead!'

As I walked with my pack towards the mass group of wolves, I couldn't help but feel admired.

----------

The moon had set long ago, and we were running up the side of the mountain. There were little jutting edges of rock we could use to climb, and some were large enough to allow us to climb up. Seki had told me before we left that jumping up was much more fun, and efficient as well. He told me that at the top of the mountain lay a crater, caused by a meteor impact from many years ago.

It was time for a break. There was a large cave in the mountain's side, created many years ago just to help the wolves climb the mountain, according to Seki. There was a small pool of water inside from which the thirsty wolves drank from. The wolves didn't speak, as it was Seki's turn to give us yet more knowledge.

'A long, long time ago,' he started. His tone had lost its regalness and was replaced by an almost thoughtful tone. 'When the world was created by the goddesses, they created wolves and humans alongside each other. We wolves had already proven ourselves to be a respectable race. The humans, however, have always been destroying the planets. Every time that the world is destroyed by humans, it is reborn. The goddesses recreate the wolves and humans, and everything starts over again. Eventually, the goddesses grew tired of the cycle. They gave us wolves a special power - the ability to turn into humans. Our duty in this world is to help humans be more at one with nature and the environment. But now, we can't even go back to the mainland to fulfill our duty...'

Everyone stared at Seki sadly, as if he was carrying a horrible burden that no one could ease. It seemed almost unnatural to see this wolf in front of me, talking about the world and its origins, and the angst that comes along with it. Even though I used to be human, I still pity the wolf. Why can't humans pity other animals? We aren't the only ones on the planet. Without animals, we would perish mostly because we have become so dependant on them. We kill them to the point of extinction, without thinking about the consequences of our actions. It's horrible.

Seki exited the cave and everyone followed obidiently. He began climbing upwards, towards the summit of the mountain. 

----------

The summit was a beautiful place. It was snow-capped and, like the rest of Oyashima, untouched by human hands. It was virgin territory, not corrupted. I'd hate to see this place become corrupted too. Was Kojiki Forest really covering the whole mainland before humans came along?

I suddenly smelled gunpowder. I recognized the scent to be that of Vincent's.

'Everybody! Run!' I shouted in a frenzy. I didn't want to see any of these wolves suffer. I couldn't forgive myself if I did let them suffer. Instantly, the pack scattered, sensing the same danger as I.

There were chills running down my spine as I heard the first gunshots be fired. My own pack crowded close to me, relying on my leadership skills as their method of survival. I suddenly felt weak. Could I lead these wolves to safety? Or would I fail and fall as well as them? What would happen to me and the world if the wolves here died? They had to be the last on the planet. If at least one of us didn't survive, the world is doomed.

I saw Vincent aim at me, intent on getting all four of us with one bullet. The bodies of dead wolves lay around his feet where some had made a desperate attempt at saving the others in their pack. The loyalty there was enormus. As Vincent readied his trigger, Seki charged at Vincent. Caught off-guard, Vincent jumped into the air and into the center of the crater, where most of the wolves were lying either dead or very near to it.

'Run!' Seki shouted, snarling at Vincent. 'You need to survive! Without you, the planet will die!'  
I stared at the pair, shocked at the events unfolding before my eyes. Seki lunged at Vincent, teeth bared and ready to rip him to shreds. As Seki latched onto Vincent's human arm, the claws on his other hand latched onto Seki's throat. Seki was thrown through the air, blood gushing from the cut on his throat. Seki was, without a doubt, thrown into a frenzy. He forgot everything noble and just unleashed everything on Vincent.

I regained control of myself and nudged Kairi. 'Come on, we need to get out of here!' I hopped over the side of the crater, with the others following close behind. Even though the slope was steep, we charged down the mountain as fast as we could. My feet were hardly touching the ground, but I still felt as if I was on the earth.

Vincent turned to follow us down the mountain. Using Vincent's mistake to his advantage, Seki charged at Vincent. Vincent anticipated the attack and grabbed Seki's throat once more. With a rough jerk of his arm, Seki's throat erupted in blood.

When I was leading the pack over the land bridge, I heard Seki's dying howl...


	5. Chapter 5

"Down With the Sickness"

The first part of the chapter is horribly written, but the part with Aerith is better. I put the sections of the legend together in case you didn't get it before, which added a bit more length to the chapter. It's mostly copied and pasted, so you can skim over the section if you want.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the plot.

Warnings for the _entire story_: Violence, language, blood, possible disturbing images

Chapter 5: Prayer of Saint Francis

Though we had nowhere to go, no leads to follow besides our own hearts, we still fought on. Our hearts constantly conflicted with each other - one would want to go one way while all others went the other. It was my job as pack leader to hold everyone together. Seifer held the proof of that across his chest, when I decided that a little bit of violence was necessary to keep the pack in order. Without teamwork, we'll never be able to come human again. I'll never be able to talk to Aerith again.

'So, what now?' Kairi had asked me after we arrived back on the mainland. I had ignored her, instead choosing to run northwards. I didn't have a reason at all. I didn't have a vibe telling me to go north or anythign. My heart didn't even tell me to run north. We had gone days without food, but our stomaches weren't complaining yet. In a few more days however, it'll prove to be a problem.

I stop, staring at the sight before me. The others nearly run into me, but manage to catch themselves right in time, preventing a collision of wolves. I couldn't believe to where I had run. It wasn't the end of the world that I had ran to, but it sure felt like it. After all of our hardwork, we really were back to first base. We had arrived at Agata, but it felt like a whole different town. I had told the pack to lay low and go a few miles away from Agata, for safety.

The security had heightened considerably, I could tell. I wasn't far away, but I was far enough to escape detection from the humans. The humans carried some strange paper slips with them, about the size of the ID card for the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee. Perhaps the humans were now forced to carry ID to enter that place.

I stood facing the city with a terrified expression on my face, the terror showing blatantly in my eyes. 'Where do you want me to go!' I shouted at the sky. 'Why do you keep torturing me!'  
I ran wildly, howling as I went, 'Just because I am nothing but darkness means I'm to be tortured forever!?'

I stopped suddenly, panting. As my eyes focused slowly, I saw a slow-moving beat-up wooden wagon being pulled by ebony horses. The chance was here, I knew. 'Go on,' I heard a voice say to me. 'Go on...'

I ran towards the cart.

'Go on...'

I sprinted with all of my might, leaping quietly into the back of the wagon, where the storage was. I quickly hid myself behind some boxes in the far corner, ignoring the feelings of claustrophobia sneaking up on me from behind. The wagon stopped suddenly, and I knew that the moment of truth was here. It was time to test Lady Luck.

The human's hands prodded and poked around the wagon, looking for smuggled goods or weapons, most likely. It makes me wonder if the security is higher because of a weapon threat? What are the humans coming to, killing themselves? Why is everything so corrupt now? As the hand creeped closer, I pushed myself further and further to the wall, flattening myself against it. I was relieved to hear the human's voice say to the wagon's owner, "You are free to enter. Welcome to Agata."

I would've smiled then. As soon as the wagon took a few back routes in the city, I hopped out, quietly running out of sight like a little mouse would do. If people would listen to the animals, it'd be amazing of what they could learn. Thrilled with my luck so far, I decided to take the alleyways back to Aerith's church. I thought I heard footsteps, but I decided to ignore them...

----------

As I approached the old white church, I crept towards the ground. I heard a female human's soprano voice singing highly from the back of the church. I entered the old doors, wincing as I heard them creak and squeak. They really needed some oil or some other lubrication. As I approached the human, I was shocked by her appearance.

She had grown weary and tired, black lines making a new home under her eyes. Her eyes were dull, like mine usually were in human form. It pained my heart to see them in such condition, making me wonder if this is how she felt. I listened to her sing, a sad melody but with some hope. She always sang that song, "The Prayer of Saint Francis". She always told me that it said what she wanted to do. The meaning of the song became apparent to me. She wanted the change the world, just like I want to? Did she give up? Yes, she has. There's no hope in her eyes, and I can tell by looking at her posture that she has given up the fight against humanity.

I felt my throat tingling as she reached the climax of the song. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I had to howl along. Her singing had made me almost happier, and almost with a renewed sense of hope. Our melodys and voices blended perfectly, and it sounded almost as if a choir of angels were really the ones singing. When the song finished, she turned around and faced me with those hollow eyes. I held my tail high, proud of myself. I walked towards here in a friendly manner. She dropped the flower she was holding, and stared at me. I stared back, unable to move my gaze from her eyes. She was reading me like the books she was always so fond of.

"Kisei, why are you back?" she asked me as I walked towards her again. I wanted to ask how she knew my name, but I brushed it off. She probably knew my name from the legends.  
"When the world was created by the goddesses, they created wolves and humans alongside each other. Wolves had already proven themselves to be a respectable race. The humans, however, have always been destroying the planets. Every time that the world is destroyed by humans, it is reborn. The goddesses recreate the wolves and humans, and everything starts over again. Eventually, the goddesses grew tired of the cycle. They gave wolves a special power - the ability to turn into humans. The wolves' duty is to help the humans, but, right now, they can't." They keep on striving to invent more things without making the things they have efficient. This land on which we sit now was once a large forest, part of Kojiki Forest to the north. They came here, cutting down the trees and trying to find oil in the land. The land was being poisoned until it could sustain no more life."

"Long ago, wolves reigned over the land. Alongside of wolves were the humans. The humans respected the wolves, and wished to live as they did. There were a group of humans that wanted to rebel against the wolves. And so, a great battle took place between the wolves and the humans. After the battle, the few wolves remaining stook alongside the human race. Some wolves could even go between wolf and human forms. The rebelling humans made it the top priority to kill the wolves. The remaining wolves ran towards the southern islands, driven away by the humans. Anyone that wanted to live like a wolf was killed in the cruelest way possible. And so, the humans began to have a need for inventing new things.

"Eventually, the humans began to turn corrupt with power. Kings became dictators. The dictators trained massive amounts of people to invent things that would be able to kill anyone who opposed them. Eventually, the dictators were overthrown, but the new kings had the urge to invent. And invent they did. The planet began to die, and the wolves could tell. There were four wolves that would be able to save the world, but they came from different worlds with different points of view. Eventually, the wolves fought their way past the discrimination and hatred with the help of peace-loving humans. The wolves traveled to Lover's Peak, the mountain in the center of our world. All wolves died on the way except for one. The wolf was as white and brilliant as the snow itself, and his name was Kisei. There was no white wolves recorded before him. He was one of a kind and seemed to be the savior of the world.

"At the top of the mountain lay in wait a cruel human. The human despised Kisei for what Kisei and the other wolves had been doing. The human only wanted to push further into technology and forget the past. But with any more technology created would come a price. The world would slowly begin to die.

"Kisei and the human fought on top of the mountain. Blood coated the snow in the crater at the very tip of the mountain. When all seemed lost, a guiding light was sent from the heavens. A wall of white began to move across the world. After the light faded, there was nothing left but the snow falling from the heavens.

"Wolves were once again created alongside the humans. And so, the legend repeats endlessly."

"I like to plant flowers," Aerith said, as my attention slowly wandered from her voice to the flowers. "It makes me feel like I'm helping the planet." I felt a pang in my heart as she smiled sadly at me.

She sat down carefully on the floor besides me as I took a seat myself. Cautiously, she reached her hand up and began petting me like a household pet. To show her my appreciation and happiness, I wagged my tail and began panting.  
"You poor thing, you can't go into human form, can you?" she asked me, all the while petting me to soothe my wounds. "I think that I know of a way that can help. North of here is a wild and confusing forest of snarling branches and trees that's called Kojiki. It used to cover all of the planet, but now it barely covers half. It's hard to miss the black on the horizon as you travel towards it.

"Not many people are aware of this, but there is a small village that lies beyond Kojiki Forest to the far, far north. The village is called Shinku. It has no modern technology, much like our human brothers that live south of here. The people of Shinku are very accepting of everything from nature, so you should have no problem there."

I looked at her strangely, silently questioning the truth of her statements.

"How do I know this, Kisei? My family originated in Shinku many years ago. They eventually moved down here, but I disagree with the belief structure here in Agata. Perhaps one day, I'll move back up there, with Cloud by my side..."

I nudged her hand with my head before getting up. I looked at her for one last time, turning around and walking quietly out of the door. I had not gotten far, taking the winding alleyways to get out of the city. I was almost out, almost to freedom, when I ran into someone that I knew when I was human. There, before me, stood Squall "Leon" Leonhart.

"Hey, Kisei." No wonder he knows my name. Aerith practically beat the legends into our heads multiple times when the church was still up and running.  
"I saw you entering the city. Pretty swift thinking for a wolf. I feel like I know you from somewhere..."

He trailed off, and I looked at him expectantly. I gently tugged on his leg with my teeth.  
"So, you want help escaping? You must be pretty important if Aerith talked to you like that. The guards are about ready to start patrolling through the alleyways here. Take a left at this intersection, and sprint. You'll encounter a few crowded streets, but just keep running. When you get to the edge of the city, there's no guards there, but a large wall. There's a large crack in the wall from a Heartless attack, so you can fit through there."

As I began walking away, he gave me one last piece of wisdom. "Don't worry about Sora, he's fine."

-------------------------------------

A little warning now, there's a little time skip from the end of this chapter to the beginning of the next one. Nothing that drastic, though. Maybe a few days or so.

I had a power outage while typing the chapter, so let me know if anything seems amiss. Like all of a sudden Cloud's driving a car or something and then Cloud's having sex on the couch with Leon. Something like that.

I would like to see 3 reviews before I update again.


	6. Chapter 6

"Down With the Sickness"

Quick note before you start reading this chapter: the rabbit in the moon thing in this chapter is actually how the Japanese see the moon. Instead of seeing the man's face, they see a rabbit. Personally, even after having grown up in America my whole life, I still see a rabbit, so that's what I used in the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the plot.

Warnings for the _entire story_: Violence, language, blood, possible disturbing images

Chapter 6: The Forest of Strife

I had run with my pack to the demented forest, Kojiki. It was a haunted place, the center of many rumors in Agata. Yet, hardly any had traveled through this forest. Though it covered the rest of the continent, according to the people of Agata, there were never any travellers. No paths were beaten into the forest's earth. It was untouched, a virgin land.

My paws were happy to be off of that hard concrete and onto the packed dirt of the forest's floor. My eyes were unhappy, though. The branches of the forest's trees were so thick that even the light given off by the full moon couldn't penetrate them. It was near pitch black; even a cat would have trouble getting through the forest.

"Kisei?" asked Kairi, timidly walking closer to me. I could almost smell the fear she felt.

"Yeah?" I replied, already knowing what she'd say.

"I'm scared. Do we really have to go through here to get to the north?"  
"Yeah. The forest covers most, if not all, of the continent. Even if we ran to the edges of the continent, the forest would still be there."  
"Gettin' a little scared, are we, bitch?" taunted Seifer, playfully biting at her ear. Her yelp echoed throughout the forest. Seifer was soon pinned to the ground by me, my teeth close to his neck. I eventually let him out of this position, but he was submissive and didn't talk.

"I know you're all scared," I said, some time later. "But to get to our goals, we need to get to the north, like Aerith said."

The pack looked at me blankly.

"Look, a journey isn't a journey if you don't encounter obstacles. You can't achieve any goal without getting past the obstacles that are in your way, no matter how small they are. Never turn around and follow your past footsteps. Life is a journey, and you always have to keep moving forward, no matter what stands in your way. Right now, this forest is our obstacle. To get to our goal, we have to get past it."  
The pack stared in admiration.

"You're right," Riku said, finally speaking. "I...never thought about journeys like that before. I guess I always expected them to be easy, but this one isn't. It isn't for any one of us."  
If I were human, I would've smiled in pride. "Yeah. Let's go."

We had run past the drooping branches, followed the path through the damp, dark forest. The moonlight still didn't penetrate the forest, much to our dismay. We had come to a dark tunnel, and we knew that sight would be limited.  
"Hey, boneheads, what do you do when you need light?" Seifer asked.

"Turn on the light switch," replied Riku sarcastically.

"...You make a fire," said I after some thought.

"That's it! A fire!" Kairi said, standing up excitedly. "We could make a fire to get through the tunnel!"

The attempts at fire-making were useless. The wood was much too damp, and we were lacking the appendages needed to hold the stones and wood in place. We had gotten it to spark, once or twice, after extreme effort. But we were really just wasting energy; this wasn't the place to be wasting it. If you died here, you never could be found.

I walked into the tunnel, my body held up bravely. My heart was fluttering in nervousness. I was certain that the others felt the same way. The tunnel was damp and dark, much more so than the forest. The air was humid and hot and sticky, making simple breathing become much more of a chore. The floor was smooth under my paws, made out of the same packed dirt that the forest's floor was made out of. The walls of the tunnel seemed to be rippled and stone, or extremely hard earth. Once or twice we came across a bat that would flap its wings and leave us without help. Occasionally, a spot or two of moonlight could be seen coming in the roof of the tunnel.

"Cloud, we need to turn back," Kairi said, slowing down her pace.  
"Why?" I asked.

"This tunnel isn't safe. We could've just stayed in the forest."  
"She's right," Riku pitched in.

"We already went through this," I said, stopping. "But look at the roof. Patches of moonlight are coming through. We might be exiting the forest or coming to a plateau or high hill to see our surroundings."  
"Look, Cloud," said Kairi, "We need to get out of here."

I already knew my response to the question.

"Fear...it's something that you can control or have control you. Right now, fear's the one controlling you. That's why you want to run with your tail between your legs. Fear is something that we all feel; even poor little Seifer over there feels it. If you can control your fear, you can keep going strong, even through this tunnel."

"This journey's turning out to be a big pain in the ass," remarked Seifer. He was laying on the ground.

"An adventure isn't always easy. You have your rough spots, and you have your good spots. But that's what makes it fun. Even when you hit a rough spot, you can't stop. You have to keep going. You can turn back, but I'm still going to follow the tunnel. I have a goal in mind, and the journey to obtaining it is a large adventure. This tunnel is a large rough spot, but I'm going to keep going anyway."

And with that, I resumed my fast, steady pace. I was surprised to hear the footsteps of my packmates behind me.  
"It's good to see that you want to keep going, too."

We kept walking through the tunnel, crawling when it got too narrow to walk. I learned just what my packmates' goals were. Kairi wanted to see Sora again. Riku wanted to get back home, a place that he hasn't spent much time at recently. Seifer wanted to see two people named Fuu and Rai, whom I assumed were his friends.

The tunnel had finally ended. I climbed up the steep rock at the end that blocked a gentle sloping path. I looked upwards and was amazed at what I saw. The sky. It was filled with thousands upon thousands of little twinkling stars, with a large full moon staring down at us. The rabbit in the moon seemed to be much more lively here than in Agata. It seemed to be almost alive. I had never seen such a beautiful night sky, no matter where I went.

I trotted out to the end of the large rocky cliff, my spirits lifted. The view of the forest down below was amazing. It was amazing, a sea of dark-colored branches as far as the eye could see. Here and there, branches would curve into the air, making a wave-like appearance. Far, far away, I could see a mountain coated in a brilliant white.

I never want humans to settle this place.

I heard Kairi, Riku and Seifer stop walking behind me, just as amazed with the view as I was. There was nothing that could ruin this moment, until I felt something crawl its way onto my paw. I removed the offending insect from it as the moon came out from behind a black storm cloud. My eyes widened as I suddenly realized why the texture was so rough and uneven. The cliff was made of bones...human bones.  
"This cliff is...made of bones..." I said, staring in awe and fear at the ground.

"What?" Kairi questioned, before looking downwards. I couldn't tell whether she was confused, scared, or both.

"From the human bones that you beasts have killed," said a familiar, baritone voice. His crimson eyes held anger that seemed to lace with his voice as he spoke. I whirled around to face him.  
"Wolves..." he started, staring at me, figuring out how best to torture me, to kill me. "You have destroyed many lives. Here they lie, in this forest of Kojiki. Cloud, Kisei...you know too much now."  
With that, without questioning myself or my actions, I lunged at him to protect myself and my pack. Though he smashed the side of my head with the butt of his gun right before I reached him, Seifer came to the rescue, biting down on Vincent's right arm - the arm he used to shoot his gun.

Seifer's eyes widened and then closed as the claws on Vincent's left arm burrowed into his skin. Seifer was thrown off the cliff; Vincent made the action seem effortless and easy. Kairi and Riku were by my side, Kairi licking the slight gash on my head while Riku growled in front of me, protecting me from harm.

"Riku, Kairi, run..." I said, struggling to my feet.

"No. We're not leaving you," Riku replied, growling at Vincent with more feriocity than ever before.

"Don't question your leader. I know we'll meet again," I told him, stepping in front of him. He stared at me with confused eyes before leading him and Kairi to safety. Though Vincent attempted to shoot at them, his injured arm prevented him from shooting as accurately.

We slowly circled each other on the cliff, as if we were doing a sacred dance. Thunder echoed throughout the area, making the cliff shake and vibrate. Lightening lit up the night sky; black clouds blocked the moon from appearing. I suddenly found myself on the ground, belly up. Vincent had pinned me to the ground, and his neck was out of reach for my teeth.  
"Tell me, wolf...why did you -"  
He didn't have time to finish his statement. I bit the closest thing to me, his injured arm, right on top of the injury that Seifer caused. The pain caused him to recoil slightly, giving me enough room to push him off of me.

The battle continued on through the storm. We both gained numerous injuries. I wouldn't be surprised if my coat stayed crimson for the rest of my life as a wolf. He shot at me with his right arm, but the bullet was easy to dodge. I saw the shock and fear in his crimson eyes for a second as I bit his leg, causing him to stumble backwards...and off of the cliff.

The anger returned quickly, though. As he raised his gun again, I believed that he was going to shoot at me. I was surprised as he missed me by a large distance, only to hit a bone instead of me. The bone fell towards the ground, making the distance between me and the earth seem suddenly very large. Vincent fell into the trees below, possibly dead. The cliff vibrated and began to collapse right under my feet. I fell to the ground and blacked out, the pain from the fall too much for me to handle.

I awoke later, hungry, cold and tired. I struggled to my feet, my legs complaining the whole time due to the injuries given to the them. I suddenly felt very alone and very afraid. The branches and trees seemed to crowd closer and closer to me, making me feel claustrophobic. Branches were snapping occasionally, the leaves were rustling occasionally. I lost my sanity for a moment. I sprinted in a random direction, I didn't know which, just to leave this forest of strife.

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I thought I was never going to get done with this chapter. It seemed like everytime I started writing, I would get interrupted and after doing whatever needed to be done, I would be too tired to write! But I did get it done, which is what counts. So, what did you think of the chapter? Send me a review. Once I get three reviews, I'll put up the next chapter as soon as it's done.


	7. Chapter 7

"Down With the Sickness"

This chapter was too short originally, so I fused this one with the would-be chapter 8.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the plot.

Warnings for the _entire story_: Violence, language, blood, possible disturbing images

Chapter 7: Bound by Destiny's Chains

I don't know where I am. I'm cold and tired, my muscles are aching, and I'm slowly going numb. My spirits are falling downwards in an inescapable spiral of despair. I don't know how long I've been walking, how long I've been running. The forest had ended quite some time ago, and a frozen tundra, void of all sorts of life, took its place. Climates were extreme on this planet. The south is hot and growing hotter everyday, and the north is frozen and growing colder every day. Storms on the planet aren't often, but they're fierce and deadly. Hail is almost guaranteed with thunderstorms. The officials of Agata were talking about building a dome around the city to protect it, as if the city was the heart of the world. Agata isn't the heart of the planet, but it is the heart of the human's world. Even if the humans were wiped out of existance, the world would go on. It would finally be able to seal its deadly wounds.

The snow kept on falling. Some flakes would melt and the water would make its way onto my skin, making me shiver from the sheer coldness of it. I haven't felt the water as much now; I'm almost as numb as a rock. My body feels heavy, even my paws seem to weigh fifty pounds. I'm sure the crimson blood has washed off of my fur by now from the melting snow. The wounds still remain, but that's the good thing about being numb. I can't feel them anyway.

I kept walking. And walking. And walking. My feet wouldn't stop walking. There was no reason to stop, no reason to go on. If I stopped, I'd die. If I went on, I'd die. My waist began to shrink as time passed, my stomach moving closer and closer to my now visible ribs. I was tired constantly, but never took a break. I collapsed more and more often. Every passing moment made it easier for me to give up and lay there in the snow. It was harder and harder to get up when I fell.

But this time, I couldn't get up at all.

----------

I awoke after the blizzard had finally passed. Everything was clear now; there was nothing to obstruct my view of the tundra, except for some oddly colored objects. They were close, but I couldn't make out what they were. My instincts told me it was danger, but my brain told me that warmth and food lay by those objects. Weakly, I pushed myself off of the frozen ground, several inches of snow tumbling off of my bony body as I did so.

As the sun rose the next morning, warming my body, I finally arrived at the objects. I was extremely confused by them. They seemed to be covered in straw from top to bottom, with a little blanket covering a section of the front of the object. As I sat, pondering what it was, I saw something step out of the blanket. It was...a human?

I was puzzled and confused. I didn't know that humans could live this far north and face this tough weather and come out alive. She was a pretty young woman, with shiny black hair reaching her waist. Her eyes, as green as the leaves on the trees on Oyashima, held kindness deep in their depths. Her slender legs were covered by fur pants, and a long fur coat covered the rest of her, save for her head and neck. As she held out something to me, I could see that gloves covered her hands.

The snow crunched under her boots as she walked closer to me. Confused and slightly scared, I became submissive. I laid on the ground, ears down to my head. I looked at her, analyzing her. She said something in an odd language I didn't understand, and then held out a piece of meat to me. Cautiously, I took the meat from her hand, always watching her. She smiled kindly at her, and I felt my tail begin to wag like a dog's would.

She clapped her hands and I found myself suddenly standing by her, as if I was controlled by some magical spell. She began to walk towards a large object in the back of the village, and I followed her obediently. Once there, she moved the blanket out of the way, showing me the inside of the object. She smiled at me, and feeling a bit braver now, I walked in. Inside of the object lay an old man.

As I walked in, my claws made a little tapping noise because of the wooden flooring. The old man, hearing the sound, awoke. He nodded at the young woman, and she departed, probably back to her home. The old man walked over the entrance of the object slowly, as if every step was causing him pain, and fastened the blanket nice and tight so nothing could escape from this object. He looked at me and smiled, wrinkles deepening as he did so.

"Ah...white wolf...we have been expecting you for some time."

I looked at him, confused. I must have had an unsure expression on my face.

"White wolves are never born in this world. They're very special."  
I'm sure that I had a confused expression on my face.  
"The planet's dying," he said as a frown suddenly replaced his smile. "A white wolf only comes when the world's about to die. The ones down south in the large city don't remember the legends of the white wolf, of how he bravely defeated the demons and saved the world. You've encountered a young man with crimson eyes, haven't you?"  
I was confused once again. How did these people know exactly who I was and what I've seen?  
"I'm certain you have. He's from the large city down south. He's vengeful at wolves and tries to kill them. I'm certain he gave you those wounds that cover your body. As for why he's so vengeful, I'm not certain. Perhaps the wolves caused him to lose things that were dear to him."

The old man was suddenly on his knees before me.

"Please, white wolf. You must defeat him and save our planet. If you don't defeat him, the cycle will repeat again."

----------

The air around me seemed to be thick with tension. There was a sense of impending doom surrounding me, and I felt it clearly. I was a good couple miles away from the village, sitting on the snow and taking one last breather before continuing my journey. I was nervous, and why, I didn't know. Something felt so off here, but I didn't know what.

I sat watching the village of Shinku for some time. My ears twitched as a new sound hit my eardrums. It sounded like a gummi ship, like one of the models Cid was working on before I left to kill Sephiroth. The earth seemed to vibrate as the ship approached. I didn't know why a ship would come this far north.

The black gummi ships were flying towards the village, gradually slowing down as they neared it. My eyes widened as I realized what was going to happen. As I got onto my feet, ready to sprint towards the village, despite knowing how worthless my attempts to stop it would be, the gummi ships began to fire lasers onto the village. I watched in horror and shock as the villager's screams and cries for help reached my ears. Flames shot up from the village as more lasers were fired. The elderly man's words echoed inside my head as I watched the destruction, powerless to prevent more damage from being done.

I couldn't do anything for this village now. The flames died down slowly, revealing that no part of the village survived. It was destroyed, and the citizens were dead. The humans, whoever they were, were murderers. What was going on in Agata?

I didn't bother to hesitate for a single second longer. Questions appeared in my head. Did the leaders of Agata know about the towns up north? What were they planning? Were they trying to destroy anyone that would oppose them, even if those people were peace-loving and friendly? Humans are disgusting creatures.

A peculiar scent entered my nostrils - the scent of...Aerith? No, I would never forget that scent. Why would I smell it this far north, in this dead land? Why would the scent follow me past the forest? I didn't know. I had no choice but to follow it. Sprinting as fast as I could, I headed south, to the forest of Kojiki.

It didn't take me long to get to the forest. The blizzard I had encountered before must have really slowed down my progress. In fact, the forest and the village seemed to be very close. Enough of the past. Enough of what I want. If the rulers of Agata destroyed a helpless village, a peaceful village that protested their ways, what would they do to Aerith?

As I entered the dark forest's grasp, the path ahead of me erupted in white flowers. I didn't hesitate. I didn't stop. I kept running, feeling the soft petals underneath my paws. I didn't care about why flowers would bloom so suddenly in this dark and gloomy of a place. It didn't matter. I need to protect her, protect Aerith.

As I headed deeper, into the heart of the forest, I saw three figures in front of me. They were my height and stood on four legs. Graceful wild animals with a frame made of muscle. They were my pack.

"We ran back to Agata," Riku said, approaching me. "We went to get Aerith."  
"It's what our hearts told us to do," Kairi said while nuzzling my face, showing me that she missed me and was worried for my safety.

Seifer approached me and my lips exposed my teeth. He didn't show any signs of submission, except for one. "Aw, how cute, everyone's back together again."  
"Yeah," I said, looking into his eyes. We had finally met an agreement on something.

"The path's turning white because of Aerith," Riku explained. "We'd best follow it."

We ran, and ran, and ran some more. The path was guiding us somewhere special, but where, I didn't know. The forest began to thin out slowly, almost unnoticiably, unless you were looking for it. Moonlight, from the full moon shining brilliantly above, began to seep through the holes left by the branches. Kojiki Forest ended abruptly, leaving us in a field.

And here, I knew, is where the journey would become so much more difficult.

-------------------------------------

Okay, I decided to update early. Next chapter is the final chapter. Originally, there were supposed to be 9 chapters, but chapter 7 was way too short for my liking. The final chapter will be long, and most of your questions will be answered at the end. I'd appreciate it if you clicked that little button down in the corner that says "Submit Review".


	8. Chapter 8

"Down With the Sickness"

Here we go. The final chapter. There's a couple of Okami and Wolf's Rain references in here. See if you can find them. (One, if you played Okami, is really obvious.)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the plot.

Warnings for the _entire story_: Violence, language, blood, disturbing images

Chapter 8: Down With the Sickness

The field seemed to be lifeless and dull, like the planet was. The flowers were wilted, save for a few here and there, but they seemed lost in the crowd. The full moon shined above our heads, its pale moonlight hitting the wilted flowers relentlessly. This field seemed to be the state of the world. It was dead and the remaining life was dying.

"This field is supposed to be covered in snow-white flowers," came a soft voice from behind me. Suddenly, the smell of flowers, like the ones from Agata, drifted into my nostrils. I turned around and saw an angelic figure with long, braided brown hair, looking at me with soft eyes. Her lips were twisted into a sad smile, one she never used.

"I tried denying it, but..." she said quietly, looking downwards at her boots. "I've been haunted by dreams of a white wolf since you came to my church in Agata."  
I whimpered and walked over to her, looking into her eyes' depths. Such beautiful eyes...

"I couldn't sit there and wait. I decided to follow you into Kojiki, but I figured that it would be easier to come here and wait for you. I knew you would all come here. It was a matter of time, which is something we don't have. Vincent's already up on the tip of Lover's Peak, that large white mountain. This is our last chance to save the world."

"As time went by, people became more corrupted," Aerith said softly, again looking at her boots, "And the flowers began wilting. We've been polluting our planet, and that's why the flowers are dying. We can't pollute the planet anymore."

"Because the planet is the only home we have."

I looked inside of myself, deep into my heart. I had come so far and lost sight of my previous goals, if I had any. As much as I would like to become human again, I had forgotten about that goal. I've been realizing how corrupted our world is, and how much our planet is dying because of these humans. I'm...almost ashamed of being a human, before I fought Sephiroth. I carelessly abused the gifts given to us by our gods, if there are any, and the planet's paying the price. It doesn't matter if I become human or not. I...need to save the world. If I don't, there's no point to becoming human. There's no point in anything I'm doing. My journey would have been for nothing. And...I think most of all...I want to change the world.

I lightly nudged Aerith's hand with my wet nose, amazed at her skin's softness. She seemed to understand my message. She knew what I wanted, and needed, to do. She looked into my eyes again, as if she knew who I really was. I wonder if she did know, all this time, that I really was Cloud. I looked at the mountain in the near distance. I was sure my golden eyes were burning with a raging fire now.

Before I knew it, I found Vincent at the very peak...

----------

**Drowning deep in my sea of loathing**

**Broken your servant I kneel**

**(Will you give in to me?)**

**It seems what's left of my human side**

**Is slowly changing in me**

**(Will you give in to me?)**

"It seems you have arrived. It's not polite to keep a guest in wait."

I knew that baritone voice, the one that I had grown to hate after the massacre of the pack of Oyashima. The edge of his voice was as sharp as a knife, and almost threatened to cut into my skin. Our eyes met in a clash of golden and crimson. I saw cold fire in his eyes, and I was certain he had gone insane. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised. He tried to kill me without reason, and massacred an entire pack of innocent wolves only looking to fulfill their purpose.

He was angry, I was certain. I didn't do shit to him. He made the first move onto me, so I had to retaliate in order to survive. Tension was thick in the air, and I could just smell the fear coming from Aerith. Her feet shuffled nervously, and I could tell she was nearly scared to death. At first, I thought it was because of Vincent being here, so close to us, but then I saw something. His gun was pointed at her heart.

My protective instincts suddenly kicked in. My lips pulled back, revealing my sharp, glistening teeth. My fur all over my body bristled in anticipation of something. I used my legs, the muscles now rejuvenated, to jump in front of Aerith. Kairi, Riku, and Seifer saw what I was doing, and they growled and snarled behind me, glad to protect Aerith.

Just then, something odd happened. Vincent smirked, lowering his gun to his side. He opened his arms, almost as if he was asking to be attacked. My anger flared, and so did my packmates, I could tell. The snarling only increased and got louder and louder. We stood there for minutes, snarling at the wolf murderer. I heard the rock behind me shift positions as Seifer charged at the man.

Seifer had really gotten my respect lately. His attack on Vincent only earned him more respect from me. How many wolves would honestly charge at a man who was talented with a gun? Riku and Kairi followed Seifer's lead, and I couldn't help but charge as well.

**Looking at my own reflection**

**When suddenly it changes**

**Violently it changes **

**There is no turning back now**

**You've woken up the demon in me**

Whatever sanity that remained with me to this point left me as I charged at the man. My human sanity was slowly deterrioating for my whole journey, since I was turned into a wolf because of Sephiroth. I met Sora and Vincent. Sora's probably dead, protecting me. This fueled my anger further, if my anger could've gotten any larger than it already was.

Vincent tried to fight us off of him, but it didn't work. Kairi would latch onto his shoulder, and as she was thrown off, Riku and Seifer would team up on Vincent. I kept lunging at the throat, only to miss by a mere inch or less. Blood splattered across the top of the mountain, Lover's Peak. The tip, where we were, was covered in blood-soaked snow.

Kairi was thrown off of Vincent's shoulder again. Vincent was unable to grab his gun as Riku tore away at his arm. Seifer knocked the wolf and human to the ground and tried desperately to reach the throat of the man. The target was so close, but Seifer's teeth ended up latching onto the junction between Vincent's neck and shoulder as Vincent's fist knocked Seifer's jaw off-track at the last moment.

I stood there, dumbfounded, as I saw Vincent shoot his gun at Seifer, nearly hitting the wolf. Vincent shot wildly, hitting Kairi in the shoulder and nearly getting Riku in the head. Riku, Seifer and I stood dumbfounded, teeth no longer bared, as the blood spurted out from Kairi's wound. We didn't know whether to help her or kill Vincent. Our instincts were fighting inside of us. Human versus wolf. The human in us told us to help her, but the wolf told us to kill the person dealing the injury so he couldn't further hurt us. This battle...it's a war both physically and mentally.

**Get up, come on get down with the sickness**

**Get up, come on get down with the sickness**

**Get up, come on get down with the sickness**

**Open up your hate, and let it flow into me**

**Get up, come on get down with the sickness**

**You mother get up come on get down with the sickness**

**You fucker get up come on get down with the sickness**

**Madness is the gift that has been given to me**

Riku seemed to be the only one that knew what was happening. He dashed in front of Kairi, snarling at Vincent as he approached them. Kairi nudged Riku, as if telling him to run. Riku didn't budge; he stood his ground, knowing that he was looking death in the face. He didn't seem to care, either. He just snarled at Vincent before charging at the said man.

Vincent used his clawed hand to pick Riku up, high into the air. As Riku snarled, Vincent only smirked before throwing Riku ground to the ground with all of the strength he could. Riku's body collided with the ground, and everyone could hear the crunching and snapping of several bones. It was sickening, seeing the bones from Riku's body burst out of the skin and sticking into open air, like a bone in his hind leg was.

Riku's eyes widened and my heart skipped a beat. Kairi was struggling to get up, to get away, but the pain was too much for her to ignore long enough to escape. She struggled wildly, fericiously, knowing that it was life and death now. Vincent's clawed hand reached around her neck, holding her to the earth. The hand squeezed into the flesh of her neck, causing her to cough and struggle for air as blood started to spurt out.

Vincent swiftly kicked her side, where her ribs were. More sickening cracks were heard as her eyes went wide with pain and terror. Vincent released his grip and watched with amusement as Kairi was finally able to make it to her feet. She stumbled around before collapsing on the ground, eyes closed and body no longer moving.

Riku snarled as he bit into the muscle and fat of Vincent's leg. His eyes narrowed in anger and hatred as he only bit harder and harder. Riku's eyes held terror as he suddenly found himself in the air, much higher than before. Vincent had thrown him up into the air as he drew his gun. Three shots were fired; more blood stained the snow. Riku's body fell down to the earth again. He didn't moved afterwards.

Seifer nudged me, causing me to look at him. He seemed to be pointing at...Kairi? Kairi had reverted back to her human form upon death, as did Riku. They looked like angels as they lay motionless in the snow, no longer here on this planet. Their souls, I guess, had departed to whatever heaven/hell there is. Vincent turned to look at us, as we were his new prey.

**I can see inside you, the sickness is rising**

**Don't try to deny what you feel**

**(Will you give in to me?)**

**It seems that all that was good has died**

**And is decaying in me**

**(Will you give in to me?)**

Victory was much, mucher harder to obtain now that Kairi and Riku were dead. Seifer stood by my side, snarling at the approaching man. The man was smirking, ignoring the blood of my packmates splattered upon his body. He, truly, was evil in human form. Whatever god or devil had created him must've been just as evil as Vincent, if not worse.

I found myself snarling at the man before lunging towards him, Seifer by my side. Seifer took the left arm as I took the right, leaving him unable to use his clawed hand to throw us into the air. Suddenly, Seifer fell to the ground, bleeding. Vincent had used his hand to puncture holes into Seifer's leg, near where it connected to the body. The flesh was torn and blood poured out of the wound, but Seifer continued to stand, ignoring the pain.

Vincent smirked at Seifer before releasing a vile laugh. "I'd be surprised to see you have that leg, after this battle."  
Seifer snarled at Vincent, limping as he circled the man. Vincent had turned his back upon me. It was the number one mistake of all, whether fighting as human or wolf. Never, ever, turn your back on your opponent. I bit into Vincent's ankle, my teeth piercing through the leather of his boots. He fell to the earth with a large thud. Seifer immediately lunged upon the man, ripping and tearing at Vincent's arm, feeling the blood slosh around in his mouth.

Seifer heard the screech of claws against a rock, and instantly let go of the arm, leaping away a few feet. I retreated too, not wanting to have those claws digging into my back. I was kicked in the torso, but not enough to kill or injure severely. The wind was knocked out of me as I went flying several feet away from the battle.

Seifer was in bad condition, I could tell.

**It seems you're having some trouble**

**In dealing with these changes**

**Living with these changes**

**The world is a scary place**

**Now that you've woken up the demon in me**

"You have destroyed many things, wolf. You are the source of my hatred towards your kind."  
Seifer snarled, now limping on his injured leg. Blood stained his fur and the snow around him. Our surroundings were now dyed crimson. I wouldn't be surprised to go to Agata and see this mountain stained in crimson.

"You have killed my family and friends. I have killed two of yours. But, I don't believe you're suffering enough."  
Seifer backed up as Vincent approached him. Seifer's leg suddenly gave, causing the wolf to collapse onto the bloody snow.

"Here, let me help you."

Seifer's eyes didn't widen in terror or fear. He seemed to be teasing Vincent. Even from this far away, I could see how much anger was held in those eyes. Seifer didn't struggle to get up, or struggle to get away. He simply let Vincent approach, as if he had a plan in mind to kill the man.

The plan, if he had one, didn't suceed. He had forgotten about Vincent's lightning-fast speed and reflexes. I only saw a blur as Vincent used his speed to get closer to Seifer. Seifer's eyes finally widened as he saw his injured leg laying in front of him. Seifer, in disbelief, looked back to where his leg was. It was missing.

I charged at Vincent, despite my stomach feeling sick from the severed leg. I latched back onto Vincent's ankle, the same one as before. He refused to fall down this time, though. His clawed hand lifted me up in the air, so that we were face to face. And as he lifted me higher, I only had one thing to do.

Golden Fury.

He dropped me, and I watched in amusement as he tried to wipe the liquid off of his face.

**Get up, come on get down with the sickness**

**Get up, come on get down with the sickness**

**Get up, come on get down with the sickness**

**Open up your hate, and let it flow into me**

**Get up, come on get down with the sickness**

**You mother get up come on get down with the sickness**

**You fucker get up come on get down with the sickness**

**Madness is the gift, that has been given to me**

Seifer, just as amused as I was, struggled to his feet. He was a soldier; he wouldn't give up for anything. He knew that death was upon him, but he wouldn't stop just because of that. Instead, he charged at Vincent, using my distraction to his advantage. Vincent's eyes widened as he saw us charging at him. He rose his clawed hand to attack Seifer, but I latched onto the arm, using my weight to prevent it from moving.

Seifer lunged onto the junction between shoulder and neck, nearly knocking Vincent over in the process. His paws were on Vincent's chest, ready to push away if need be. It's a wonder why Vincent didn't fall over. Seifer's remaining hind leg was pushing into a rather sensitive spot on Vincent...unless he didn't have any to begin with.

Vincent's un-clawed hand made its way around Seifer's waist, trying to peel off the wolf. Seifer only dug his fangs deeper into the flesh, strengthening his hold on the man. I dug my fangs deeper into the arm, feeling a bone beginning to crack because of the pressure from my teeth.

There was always something that we forgot. It doesn't matter what we were doing, we always forgot something. And this time, what we forgot proved fatal. Vincent used his un-clawed hand to grab the gun. Seifer almost let go as he felt the gun press against the back of his head. My heart began to beat faster. If Seifer got shot, so would Vincent. They would both die. But, is it worth the price?

I felt myself being lifted into the air as I hung onto his arm with my teeth. Even with my weight, Vincent still managed to lift his arm up just enough to rip Seifer off of him. Seifer landed on the ground, snarling at the man. I shut my eyes tightly as I heard the gunshot, then the dying howl. When I reopened my eyes, I saw Seifer laying on the ground in human form, motionless.

**(And when I dream)**

**No mommy, don't do it again**

**Don't do it again**

**I'll be a good boy**

**I'll be a good boy, I promise**

**No mommy don't hit me**

**Why did you have to hit me like that, mommy?**

**Don't do it, you're hurting me**

**Why did you have to be such a bitch**

**Why don't you,**

**Why don't you just fuck off and die**

**Why can't you just fuck off and die**

**Why can't you just leave here and die**

**Never stick your hand in my face again bitch**

**FUCK YOU**

**I don't need this shit**

**You stupid sadistic abusive fucking whore**

**How would you like to see how it feels mommy**

**Here it comes, get ready to die**

I let go of Vincent's arm, and I dashed a few feet away from the man. We stood there, staring at each other with hatred and anger burning in our eyes.

"Wolves...you have always destroyed everything..." Vincent muttered.

'And you haven't...' I said.

"That's right, I haven't," he replied, voice full of anger. He could...hear me?

'First, you've destroyed my packmates' hopes of being human again.'

"Nonsense. They're human now, aren't they?"

'They wanted to go home.'

"You speak nonsense."

'No, I don't.'

There was a large rock ahead of me, and I gladly hopped upon it. I was now at Vincent's height level. The full moon was still high in the sky, but now crimson instead of white. Its moonlight shone upon my body, making it appear to glow compared to the darkness of night around me.

'Home is a place that we all want to go. It's a place where we feel comfort and happiness. It's the contrast to the world. The world's not a happy place. It's full of danger. But it's also full of adventure. My whole journey of getting here, it was an adventure. I encountered so many dangerous things as I got here, to this mountain in the center of the world. I saw massacres of humans and wolves.

'But the point is, the world's cold and lonely. It wasn't meant to be this way. There's a lot of things we can do to change it, but we don't even try because we think we can't make a difference. If we all tried to build a better world together, we could. But the planet is dieing because we didn't even try to make a difference in our ways, to make them less harmful to the earth. We don't think we could change our ways, but we can.

'And if we just sit here, not doing anything, the world's only going to get worse. The planet will get hotter and people will fight wars over things like water. Food will get harder and harder to come by, and disease will spread all over the world. The world will become a total mess, and there won't be anyone to fix it other than ourselves.

'Maybe no one wants to try to help our planet. But I'm going to try, anyway. Stand up for what you believe is right, even if you're standing alone."

**Get up, come on get down with the sickness**

**Get up, come on get down with the sickness**

**Get up, come on get down with the sickness**

**Open up your hate, and let it flow into me**

**Get up, come on get down with the sickness**

**You mother get up come on get down with the sickness**

**You fucker get up come on get down with the sickness**

**Madness is now your offering**

Vincent's eyes narrowed as he lunged at me. I was knocked off the rock and pinned to the ground. I blacked out for only a few moments, but when I came-to, I could only see out of one eye. My other was on the ground. We circled each other, slowly, waiting for the other to make a move. Right before we were going to charge at each other, we were stopped by Aerith's scream.

"I don't want your interference! The cycle will repeat again!" Vincent said to me, hitting me in the head with the butt of his gun.  
I tried to regain my balance from the sudden attack. Not wanting to waste any time, I stumbled towards Aerith, Vincent's target. I watched in confusion as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as if they were lovers.

"This planet is dieing...place your roots into the ground, and start the cycle again," Vincent whispered into her air with a gentle voice.  
"I need your blood to start the cycle again."

Angered, I lunged at Vincent, latching onto his neck. Taken by surprise, he went flying due to how fast I was running towards him. I felt the blood from his neck seep into my mouth as I bit harder. Thinking that he wouldn't get up for a little bit, I ran towards Aerith and threw myself in her arms. Her sharp, long nails dug into my back, breaking the skin and blood vessels underneath. Vincent's evil laugh began to echo in my ears.

"You have sacrificed yourself to the planet, wolf. The cycle will start again," Vincent said, approaching me. Aerith's nails dug deeper into my back as I struggled to escape. I want to kill Vincent. White roots erupt from the earth and wrap around us, pulling us into the ground where they came from. Vincent got closer and closer to us, almost close enough to touch the roots. White light erupted from the ground where Aerith and I were being absorbed and destroyed Vincent. The light shot itself into the sky, as if it were a giant wall.

"Leon, I'm scared," Yuffie said as Leon hugged her tighter.

"It's coming!" Sora exclaimed, shivering in fear.

"Hold on to your drawers, an' don't piss in 'em!!" yelled Cid.

"This is it..." said Tifa with much anxiety in her voice.

The light came and went quickly. Nothing was left behind, except for the snow falling to the ground.

----------

Our swords clashed in mid-air, repeating the same moves that we have used over and over again, without end. He would ready his sword to pierce my chest, I would use my sword's width to block. It was almost habit now. It's sad. It's pathetic, how I can read his moves as he can read mine, as if we can read each other as if we were open books written in a large size font. All we have to do is wait for one of us to make a mistake. And hopefully, he would be the maker of that mistake.

Sephiroth always did make the mistake. How I knew that I did not know. He raised his sword just high enough to give me an opening. He did that every single time, but I don't know how I knew that. But I knew that every time, I would use that second to pierce through his chest, to burst his heart with the tip of my sword. And every time, I knew, he would fall to the ground, gasping for breath, wing wrapping around him in a desperate attempt to save its owner. It was no different now.

But he glowed as black as night as the darkness wrapped around his body. I widened my eyes in shock and dropped my sword as I saw the darkness wrapping itself around my body as well. He looked at me, a hollow look in his eyes. I shivered under that look, quickly finding the ground a much interesting place to look at. I know that I shouldn't be looking at the ground at a time like this, but I can't help but do it. I can't tear my eyes away from the healthy grass on the forest floor on which I fought with Sephiroth.

I collapse to the ground, much like he did. And it all feels so strangely familiar. I groan in pain as I feel my body changing into something not human. My bones crunch and snap, my face lengthens and my teeth grow sharp. I feel something growing from my tail bone.

Why does it feel so familiar?

-------------------------------------

Before you close out the window, I want something to be known. I didn't write DwtS just for my own amusement. I wrote it because I know the world's getting more corrupted every day, and that there's not enough people taking action to stop it. If you remember one thing from DwtS, remember that anyone can make a difference. Stand up for what you believe is right, even if you're the only one.

If you want to know what I'm planning on doing next, or if you want some extra facts on DwtS, keep reading. If not, you can click the submit review button and tell me what you thought.

What I'm doing next: I have honestly no idea. This can go two ways: You can re-read the story forever (because it just repeats itself), or I can write a sequel of sorts with a different adventure. I'm not sure what I'm doing yet, though. I'm making a list of people to PM when I decide whether or not to make a sequel, so if you want to be contacted when I decide, contact me and ask to be added to the list.

Here's a few interesting facts from when I was planning the story:

1) Originally, Vincent had a daughter that was killed by Seifer. Instead, I changed it to Vincent's family and friends because I didn't know how Vincent's daughter would've survived throughout the story. It's also a reference to Wolf's Rain; Quent had his family killed by wolves too.

2) Sora originally had a role similiar to Issun's in Okami. I didn't like the idea, so I gave him a minor role instead.

3) Agata is the name of a forest in Okami.

4) I didn't want Cloud traveling alone or with a human, so I picked the characters Riku, Kairi and Seifer to be wolves. I chose them because I wanted a balance like the one in Wolf's Rain with Hige, Toboe and Tsume.

5) Oyashima means 8 major islands. They say that "Izanagi and his wife Izanami made love and gave birth to the 8 Japanese main islands (Oyashima)." I did want the world to be made of 8 islands, hence the name.

6) When Cloud meets Aerith in the church, I wanted her to be singing the "Prayer of Saint Francis" because it reminds me of her. Unfortunately, it's a song that is better heard than read.

7) The tunnel and cliff of bones in the forest is a reference to a Wolf's Rain episode.

8) I got the name Shinku from one of my Sims 2 neighborhoods. I just took the syllable "ju" out of Shinjuku.

9) The path of flowers turning white is another reference to Wolf's Rain.

10) Golden Fury is an attack that Amaterasu can learn in Okami. It basically involves her lifting her leg and pissing on the enemy.

11) Cloud, in wolf form, resembles Kiba from Wolf's Rain, or Amaterasu from Okami without her markings.

12) Kairi, Riku, and Seifer's fur colors reflect their hair color. I wanted Seifer to be gray, but in my mind, he was always golden like the wolf from Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

13) Cloud losing his eye in the battle with Vincent is a reference to the manga version of Wolf's Rain.

Now, if you want, you can send me a review by clicking that button in the left hand corner.


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